Packing for shafts



Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,560,669 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. DENNEDY, 01" DE'TIBJOI'I, MICHIGAN.

1mcxme F03 sn.e.ms.

Application flled Angust 29, 1921. Serial N0. 496,289.

T0 all wh0m z't may concem Be it known that I, JAMES H. DENNEDY, citizenof the'z United. States, residing at Detroit, county of 1Vayne, State ofMichigan, have invented a, certain new and useful Improvement inPackings for Shaft s, and declare the following to be a fu1l, clear, andex'act descriptiom of the same, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to make and. use the same, refe rence beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to packing for -shafts and the object 0f theinvention is to provide a device for preventing leakage of liquid or gasalong a shaft. This invention is partieularly adapted for use on theshafts of compressors in refrigerating systems for preventing leakageof' the refrigerant, such as ammonia gas, sulphur dioxide 01' the like,the loss of which is very great where 110 pro- Y Vision is made toprevent such leakage. An-

other reason for preventing this leakage is that ammonia gas 01' sulphurdioxide when existing in any quantity in a closed room is injurious topersons and, should the 1eakage occur within the refrigerator the foodtherein is contaminated thewby. This invention is further adapted -forpreventing 1eakage of the ref'rigerant even when under considerablepressure and also packs the shaft against leakage of lubricating oil or1 :he ingress of air. A further object of the mvent1on is to provide ametalhc packing Which Will r.emain tight under all c-onditions oftemperature and pressure and which is so designed as t0 be easi1yassembled 0r removed. These objects and the several nove1 features ofthe invention am hereinafter more fu1ly described. and claimed, and thepreferred form of construction of a packing by which these objects areattained is -shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is asection through the main bearing of the crank shaft of a compressorshowin%my improved packing.

ig. 2 is a sectmn taken on 1ine 2--2 of Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1 a crank' shaft 1 is pro'videdto which the connectingrods of the compressor may be attaehed. The crank shaft 1 is rotatablymounted in a bearing 2 which is provided in the crank case 3 of thecompressor, the end of the crank case being recessed as shown in Fig. 1to receive the packing. The crar 1k shaft is provided with a portion 4of smaller diameter and a sleeve 5 is positioned thereon, the saidsleeve being provide'd with an annular flange 6 at the end. A gasket 21is provided between the shoulder 22 of the shaft and end of the sleefie5 to prevent leakage between the -sleeve und. the shaft. 7 arepositioned on the sleeve 5. the inner faces of the said members closelyfiftin9; the outer face of the sleeve, and the butting faces of' thesaid memb ers are finished t0 provide a close fit. The abutting faces ofthe flange 6 anal adjacent member 7 are also finished in 1ike manner anda nut 8 is threaded on the threaded end of the' sleve 5 to.

bind the niembers 7 between the said nut and the flange 6. A lock nut 9'is threaded 011 the threaded portion 10 of the crank A series of threeannular members shaft und. is adapted to force the s leeve 5 forward andbind the gasket 21 between the sleeve 5 and shoulder 22 and thus preventleakage between the ortion 4 of the' shaft and th e sleeve 5. napertured inetallic disc 11 is positioned on the face of the crank case3 within the recess 12 and a ring 13 is positioned thereon. As will beseen from Fig. 1 there am three pairs of d1scs 14 spaced apart by therin s 15 which fit close- ]y within the circular ace of the recess 12.An apertured metal disc 16 is positioned ove-r the'outer ring 15 and aclamp member 17 having an annu1ar shoulder 18 is secur ed 110 the crankcase 3 by the bolts 19. A ser1es of bolts 19 is provided as shown in Fi.2 and as the bolts are drawn up the shoi1 der 18 of the member 17 isforced 1nWaidly which binds the discs 11, 14 and 16 between -the rings13 and 15 and the shouldex 18. It'

can thus be seen that by drawing the bolts 19 up tightly, thepossibility of leakage around the outer periphery of the discs isprevented.

The annular members 7 are each provided with a circular rib 20 havingoppositely curved faces which are highly polished and against which thefaces of the discs about the center engage as shown in Fig. 1. Thisspread of the discs 'by the ribs 20 is resisted due to the discs beingformed of flat tempered spring steel and on this acc ount the discs tendto return to the flat pos1tion and. therefore engage the curved faces 0fthe ribs 20 with sufiicient tension to prevent leakage therebetween. Itwill be noted that when bindingly secured in place between the 1 members15 and 18, the disos 14 are held stationary, While the ribs 20 mayrotatetherebetween. Should the bearing 2 become Worn the refrigerant may passbetween the said bearin and the crank shaft 1 and might pass etween thefirst Pair 0f discs 14 und. rib 20 but due t0 the tensio-n of the discs0n the ribs th6 refrigerant Will be prevented fro1n passing through theentire series of discs. It can thus be seen that by this constructionleakage in either direction Will be prevented even when the refrigerantis under considerable pressnre in which case the pressure would on1yforce the first 0f the series of discs 14: into tighter engagement withthe co1npanion rib 20. It Will also be noted that with this constructionleakage is prevented even When there is considerable p1ay in Ehe shaf'tboth radially and longitndinally and due to the tension o:f the discs 14on the faces of the ribs a tight packing is always maintained.

It can also be seen from this construction that leakage 0-:f gas isresisted in steps, t11at is, the pressure might be conside1able betvveenthe inner edge of the recess and the first 0f the series of disos and avery slight leakage. could occur between the first disc and rib, but thepressure in the space between the discs about the first rib would beconsiderably less because 01 the resistance to the flow of gas set up bythe pressure of the first disc 011 the corresponding rib, and thepressure in the chambers formed between the pairs of discs W0u1d. beincreasingly less down to atmospheric pressure so that by multiplyingthe number of discs, a number of resistance. points 0r throttle pointsare for1ned und all possibility Cf leakage Will be prevented. lt is alsounderstood that a single dise and single rib may be utilized in whichcase if the packing is intended for use against pressure fro1n theinterior the single disc wonld be applied to the right band side 0f therib, the rib being so positioned that the disc is deflected at thecenter similar to in Fig. l. This typeof' packing 1nay be utilized forpacking against steam o1 liquid 01 where an absolutely tight packing isnot necessary. In this case the pressure wou1d merely force the discinto tighter engage- 1nent with the rib. A single disc 1nay also be usedior packing ag ainst a vacuum, in which case the disc would merely bepositioned on the opposite side of the rib, it being necessary of courset0 deflect the diso a1; t11e center to pro'vide proper tension und11110w slight play of the shaft longitudinally. In tin's case thetendcncy of the air t0 rush in would force the Single disc into tightengage1nent with the side of tlie rib und thereby prevent the ingress ofair 01' other fluid From the foregoing description it becomes e vi ionifhat fli dovice is vvry simple am] eflici ent in operation, Will n0t getout 0f order, is easily assembled or disassembled and provides a devicewhich accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and modeofoperation, what' I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is 1. In a packing f01 shaf'ts, in combination, a casinghaving a recess, a shaft extending through the said recess, a series 0fcentrally apertured spring metal disds arranged in pairs and fittingwithin the said recess, a series of n1etal rings fitting within therecess und spacing the pairs of discs at the periphery-a clan1p memberhaving an annular shonlder adapteci to fit in the recess, means f0rdrawing the shoulder into the recess to bind the rings und discs betweenthe shoulder and bottom of the recess, a sleeve secured t0 the shaftwithin the recess and having an annular shoulder, a .series of annularrib members seating on the said sleeve extending between and spreadingeuch pair 01 discs at the center, a nutthreaded 0n the sleeve adapted1:0 bind the rib members between the annular shoulder of the sleeve andthe said nut and a lock nut threaded on the shaft and adapted tobindingly engage the nut on the sleeve.

2. In a packing for shafts, in combination, a casing having a recess, ashaft extending centrally through the said recess, a series of centrallyapertured spring metal discs arranged in pairs and fitting within thesaid recess, a series 01: metal rings spacing the pairs of discs at theperiphery, a clamp me1nber provided with an annular shoulder adapted tofit in the recess, means for drawing the clamp member into the recess tobind the rings and discs between the annular shoulder and bottom of therecess, and a series of annular rib merhbers extending beaween andspreading each pair of discs at the center.

3. In a packing for shafts, in comioination, a casing having arecess, ashaft extending centrally through the said recess, a series of centrallyapertured spring metal discs a1- ranged in pairs and fitting within thesaid recess, a series of motal rings spacing the pairs of discs at theperiphery, means f'or bindingly securing the rings and discs in place, asleeve secured to t he said shaf't. a series of annular rib me1nbersmounted 011 the said sleeve, means for bindingly securing the ribmembers in position 011 the sleeve, the rib members extending betweenund spreading .each pair of discs at the center.

:L In a packing for shafts, in combination, a casing having a recess, ashaft extending centrally through the said recess, a series of centrallyapertured spring metal diScs a1- rnnged in pairs and fitting within thesaid reoess, a series of metal'rmgs spacing the pairs of discs at theperiphery, means f01 bindingly securing therrings and di*scs together atthe periphery, and a series 0f annular rib members on the shaft andspreading the discs of each of said pairs abouttheir central apertures.

5. In a packing for shafts, incombination, a casing having a, recess, ashaft extending; centrally through the said recess, a series ofcentrally apertured spring metal discs arranged in pairs and fittingwithin the recess, the discs of each pair being stationarily mounted inthe 'casing und sealed together a1: the periphery thereto, a se1ies ofannular rib members mounted to rotate with the shaft und sealed theretothe said rib members extending between and spacing the discs 0f eachpair at the center.

6. A packing for shafts comprising in combinat1on a, ca sing, a shaftextending therethrough, a series of centrally apertured diaphragm discsarranged in pairs and secured tog ether ab their peripheries to thecasing, the several discs being so arranged that the discs of each pairare c1oser together than are the pairs of discs, am]. a series ofannular rib' members on the shaft arranged for spreading the discs ofeach pair at their central apertures and for making rotary sealstherewith. y

7 A packing for shafts comprising a shaft, an apertured casing throughwhich the shaft extends, the shaft and casing constituting respectivelyrotary and stationary elements, a pair of normally flat diaphragm discsof spring meta1 having cent ral apertures thereby forming an inner andan outer margin for each disc, the pair of discs beim; secured togetherand sealed 1:0 one of the elements at one of their margins, and anannular flange 011 the other of the elements ex tending between the discs at their other margins 130 spread them apart against their 110rmaltendency to remain flat and thereby making rotary contact with thediscs.

In testimony whereof, I sign this sp-ecification.

JAMES H. DENNEDY.

